1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates generally to check readers and more particularly a check reader having image sensing capabilities in addition to magnetic ink character recognition capabilities.
2. Description of Background
When a patron presents a check to a clerk at a bank or store, the clerk typically enters the account number of the patron and the check number of the check by hand into the computer system of the bank or store. Aside from being tedious and time consuming, this process inevitably leads to entry errors.
Recently, compact and portable table top devices, known as xe2x80x9ccheck readersxe2x80x9d have become available which are useful in reading checks. This type of device includes a housing having a slot for receiving a check, and a transport mechanism which transports checks through the slot at a known speed. Check readers read information from a check by a process of magnetic ink character recognition (MICR). Standard MICR character font characters printed on the check are read by a magnetic read head mounted in the housing which is biased to remain in constant contact with a check passing through the slot. A permanent magnet mounted in the housing magnetizes the MICR characters before the characters are read by the read head. An example of a check reader of this type is the series ST8300 check reader manufactured by Welch Allyn, Inc. of Skaneateles, N.Y.
Currently available check readers have greatly improved the processing of checks at the initial status of check processing. Where they have been implemented, check readers have improved the speed and ease with which the account number present on a check in magnetic ink is input into a data collection system and have essentially eliminated the problem of entry error.
However, significant problems with the processing of checks at local banks and retail stores remain. For example, current check reading devices do not address the problem of presentment fraud, wherein the endorser or presenter of a check fraudulently holds herself out as the payee of the check.
There exists a need for a low cost, compact device which in addition to providing efficient reading of the account and check numbers imprinted on the check, is equipped to resolve additional problems commonly encountered in the initial stages of check processing, including the problem of presentment fraud.
According to its major aspects and broadly stated, the present invention is an improved check reader having image sensing capabilities in addition to magnetic ink character recognition capabilities. While the present invention is especially useful for determining indicia elements of a check, which by convention normally have both MICR and non-MICR characters, it will be well understood that the present invention is useful for determining MICR or non-MICR indicia elements formed on any document comprised of paper or other indicia-carrying substrate.
The check reader of the invention is preferably housed in a compact housing, and is adapted for use on a table top. The housing includes a slot for receiving a check, and a transport mechanism for transporting a check relative to the check reader""s indicia-determining components. When a check is passed through the slot, magnetic ink characters printed on the check are read by a magnetic read head which is mounted on the housing to remain in contact with the check. The housing further includes a permanent magnet which magnetizes magnetic ink characters of the check so that the characters can be read by the read head.
Magnetic image character recognition (MICR reading) requires that characters being read are printed using magnetic ink. Because characters being read by MICR reading cannot be successfully altered using conventional ink, reading of a check using a MICR reader provides an important security advantage.
In addition to having a MICR read head, a check reader according to the present invention has mounted in its housing an imaging assembly. The imaging assembly can be adapted to sense any indicia printed on the check including and in addition to the MICR characters encoding an account number, check number, bank routing number, amount field, and other MICR information. The check reader of the present invention, therefore, can perform both MICR reading and imaging assembly imaging. MICR xe2x80x9cReadingxe2x80x9d shall herein refer to the process of determining character type of a magnetic ink character with use of a magnetic read head. xe2x80x9cImagingxe2x80x9d shall herein refer to the process of capturing indicia elements present on a document in an electronic format with use of an imaging assembly.
The imaging assembly of the housing includes an image sensor, a source of illumination, and optics for directing light to the image sensor.
The image sensor may be a visible light or infrared (IR) type image sensor in a single element, linear, or matrix array available in various technologies. The imaging assembly may also be an illumination array comprising a rastering laser or laser array detected either by a single or multiple array of detectors.
In one embodiment of the invention, an imaging assembly having a single element type scan image sensor is mounted on the housing proximate the slot, and images one dimensional symbols printed on the check. Such one dimensional images can include bar code symbols. In this type of embodiment, a bar code symbol is printed on the check and can be made to represent specific information about the check or about the patron. When the imaging assembly is a one dimensional manual scan type imaging assembly, the bar code symbol is printed in a predetermined orientation on the check so that the entire length of the bar code symbol passes across the single element scan imaging assembly when the check is transported through the slot.
In another embodiment of the invention, an imaging assembly having a multiple element scan type one dimensional image sensor is mounted on or in the check reader housing proximate the check receiving slot. When a multiple element imaging assembly is implemented in a check reader, a central processor which coordinates the speed and position of the check, and which controls the scanning of the imaging assembly, can be adapted to control scanning of the imaging assembly so that the imaging assembly can acquire and store processable representations of two dimensional images using only a one dimensional sensor.
The central processor coordinating imaging and MICR reading of a check can be disposed in or on the housing that houses the MICR reader and the imaging assembly, or may be positioned at a location remote from the housing.
An imaging assembly of the housing can be adapted to image a portion of or an entire document passing through the check reader. Supplementary image sensors can be provided for imaging indicia elements of a document in addition to those indicia imaged by a first imaging assembly. In one embodiment of the invention, image sensors of the housing are disposed opposite one another to image check indicia on either side of the check during a single transport of the check through the housing.
The transport mechanism of the invention transports a check received in the housing relative to the check reader""s indicia-determining components, i.e. the reader""s MICR reader and imaging assembly. The indicia determining components may be transported across a stationary received check, or a check may be transported across stationary indicia-determined components. Alternatively, both a check, and a reader""s indicia-determining components may be moved in opposite directions toward one another to provide relative movement of a check and a check reader""s indicia determining components.
The transport mechanism of the housing normally transports a check at one predetermined constant speed or at two discrete predetermined constant speeds depending upon application and the type of imaging assembly which is installed in the housing. MICR readers transport a check at a constant transport speed. This constant transport speed ranges from about 9 in./sec to about 50 in./sec and varies depending on the type of MICR reader. If the imaging assembly can generate satisfactory resolution at a transport speed sufficient for MICR reading, then the transport mechanism can transport a check at a single speed. If, however, the imaging assembly cannot generate a satisfactory resolution at the MICR reader speed, then the transport mechanism must transport the check at two speeds: A first speed for performing MICR reading and a second speed for performing imaging assembly imaging.
A two speed transport mechanism can be provided by a coordinated system of rollers. A first roller receives a check, transports the document at a first speed and passes the check to a second roller which receives the check and transports it at a second speed. If the check reader is made to accommodate variously-sized checks, then a third middle roller passes the check to the second roller.
The second roller may transport the check in the same direction as the first roller, or in a direction opposite that of the first roller. Orientation of the rollers and the path of the check are not critical. The rollers may be made to transport a check, for example, in a generally horizontal direction, a generally vertical direction, or along a U-shaped path. The transport mechanism, in addition, can be made to transport a check through a housing in a second backward direction after it is transported, partially or all the way through a housing in a first, forward direction. In this embodiment, the MICR reader and the imaging assembly can be employed to redundantly read and image a check as it is passed though the housing in a backward direction.
In addition to or as an alternative to passing a document by a system of rollers, the transport mechanism can transport a document with use of an air transport system wherein the document is supported by air as it moves across the read head and the imaging assembly. A document can also be transported by the force of gravity. For example, in one possible design, a document is imaged and read as it falls downward through a vertically oriented feed path.
Under certain circumstances, an indicia element printed on a check can be imaged while a check is transported manually. In particular, if the imaging assembly images a symbol which is decoded, then synchronous transport of the document is not required, and indicia may be imaged during manual transport. An indicia element on a document can be imaged during manual transport by installing an imaging assembly in the path of a document forward of a document receiver roller. With this configuration, indicia printed toward an edge of a document will be imaged while it is manually transported across an imaging assembly before it is received in a roller.
When a document is manually loaded into a check reader, the document travels asynchronously at low transport speeds of less than about 1 in./sec. A benefit of this low transport speed is that a high resolution computer processable image can be captured using a low scan rate, low cost imaging assembly and at a lower data rate.
The present invention may be utilized in a variety of applications. Hardware and software adaptions of the present invention may vary depending upon application.
In one major application of the present invention, the check reader performs full check imaging for archiving purposes. A full check image can be downloaded to a record-keeping facility, thereby alleviating the need for further check imaging procedures. When an imaging assembly of the check reader performs full check imaging, the optics associated with the imaging assembly and the imaging assembly must be coordinated so that the imaging assembly images a complete width of a check. Further, the transport mechanism is adapted to assure that the entire document is transported at a constant speed across the imaging assembly.
In another application of a check reader according to the invention, the check reader is used in combination with specialized check indicia in an improved check reading system. In the improved check reading system, a two dimensional or a stacked one dimensional portable data file bar code symbol such as PDF 417(PDF) is printed on a check. The symbol is of a type that represents the image of the person authorized to present the check. When the check reader imaging assembly senses a PDF symbol, software associated with the symbol is activated to process the symbol and generate, for identification verification purposes, a near-photograph quality image of the person authorized to present the check. Display of this near photograph quality image may be made by a display component formed in the check reader housing, or by a display component of a remote system. In this application, the optics and the imaging assembly need only image the specific area of a check having the symbol, and the check may be transported manually during image sensing.
In another application of the invention, an imaging assembly is positioned in the check reader housing to image the hand-written dollar amount written in the dollar amount box of the check. With appropriate character recognition software for processing the hand written numeral image, the imaging assembly can be made to automatically read the dollar amount of the check, thereby eliminating the initial check processing step of manually entering the dollar amount of a check into the computer system of a bank or store.
In a related application, an imaging assembly is provided which images the hand-written text image from the dollar amount line of the check. The imaging assembly imaging the dollar amount line of a check may be, for example, a full width imaging assembly having optics for imaging the full width of a check, a large imaging assembly which images both the dollar amount line and the dollar amount box, or a dedicated imaging assembly which images the dollar amount line only. Imaging of the dollar amount line can be used in place of or as a supplement to imaging the dollar amount box of a check so that the check processing step of entering the dollar amount of a check by hand will be eliminated.
In yet another application, an imaging assembly mounted in a check reader is utilized to image the signature line of a check. Where an imaging assembly is positioned to image the signature field, the scanned image is preferably processed by signature processing software of the type which produces a numerical code that varies depending on highlight features of the signature. The numerical code generated by scanning and processing the signature image is then compared to a numerical signature code for the patron which has been printed on the check or which has been entered into the computer system of the bank or store.
A major feature of the present invention is the combination, in a compact housing, of a MICR reader and an imaging assembly. The combination of these two components provides benefits which would not be realized with either component operating independently. The MICR reader determines the identity of difficult-to-counterfeit MICR characters, while the imaging assembly can be adapted to generate a computer-processable representation of any document indicia element. Data generated by the MICR reader and the imaging assembly are processed in combination for improved check reader performance in various possible check verification applications, as discussed herein.
Another important feature of one embodiment of the invention is the transport mechanism having two transport speeds: A MICR transport speed for performing MICR reading, and an imaging transport speed for performing imaging assembly imaging. The two speed transport mechanism allows the present invention to be made using a low scan rate, low cost imaging assembly.
Still another important feature of a certain embodiment of the invention is the adaption of the imaging assembly of the housing to capture an image while the check is transported manually relative to the housing. The manual imaging embodiment allows use of a low cost imaging assembly in a check reader having a two speed transport mechanism, wherein one of the speeds is provided by manual transport.